Any individual or organization (Private or governmental) involved in activities related to textile trade, marketing, export, manufacturing, procurement, etc., and desiring to ascertain the quality of product can avail the testing services.

4. Official timing of the Laboratory :

Monday to Friday from 9.30 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. (Lunch time:1.30 to 2.00 P.M). Additional working on Saturdays as per the workload requirement.

5. How to submit the sample?

Samples can be submitted at the laboratories given at (link) by forwarding samples along with the covering letter of company by hand, post or courier and clearly mentioning the parameters required to be tested along with standards (national/international) to be adopted, etc.

Charges towards testing can be made either in Cash, Demand Draft (DD)/Cheque drawn in favor of TEXTILES COMMITTEE, Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Electronic Clearance Service (ECS) to the account of Textiles Committee. Customers can avail PASS BOOK facility by depositin some minimum amount with Textiles Committee. wherein the test charges will automatically be debited.

8. How to track the sample status in the Laboratory?

You can track the status of your sample by entering Sample Number in the appropriate column provided in the main menu

9. Whether laboratories are accredited?

Yes, 14 of the Textiles Committee Laboratories are accredited as per ISO/IEC 17025 : 2005 by NABL.

10. Why to select an accredited testing laboratory?

The accredited Laboratories uses criteria and procedures specifically developed to determine technical competence. The criteria are based on the international standards called ISO/IEC 17025 which are used for evaluating laboratories throughout the world. In India NABL accredits recognition of the technical competence of the testing labs for a specific task following ISO/IEC 17025-2005 standard. It is associated with Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), MRA and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and hence certificates/test reports provided by an NABL accredited Laboratory are recognized in many countries under the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with them.

Senior officials of the Textiles Committee are utilized by the NABL for external audit of laboratories

Training to the industry personnel and students from institutes on textile testing

Research and Developments,

Client oriented research Projects

12. What are banned amines ?

Banned amines are the chemicals which are released from some of the azo dyes on reductive clevage.

Following is the list of amines banned by Germany.

4-Amino biphenyl (CAS-No.:92-67-1)

Benzidine (CAS-No.:92-87-5)

4-Chlor-o-toluidine(CAS-No.95-69-2)

2-Naphthylamine (CAS-No.:91-59-8)

p-Chloroaniline(CAS-No.106-47-8)

2,4-Diaminoanisole(CAS-No.615-05-4)

4,4'-Diamino diphenyl methane (CAS No.:101-77-9)

3,3'-Dichloro benzidine (CAS-No.:91-94-1)

3,3'-Dimethoxy benzidine(CAS-No.:119-90-4)

3,3'-Dimethyl benzidine(CAS-No.:119-93-7)

3,3'-Dimethyl-4,4'-diamino diphenyl methane (CAS-No.:838-88-0)

p-Cresidine (CAS-No.:120-71-8)

4,4'-Methylene-bis-(2-chloraniline) (CAS No.:101-14-4)

4,4'-Oxydianiline (CAS-No.:101-80-4)

4,4'-Thiodianiline (CAS-No.:139-65-1)

o-Toluidine(CAS-No.:95-53-4)

2,4-Diamino toluene(CAS-No.:95-80-7)

2,4,5-Trimethyl aniline (CAS-No.:137-17-7)

o-aminoazotoluene (CAS-No.:97-56-3)

2-amino-4-nitrotoluene (CAS No.:99-55-8)

p-amino azo benzene

2-methoxy aniline

These are suspected to be carcinogenic and are being banned.

Apart from Germany, Netherlands has also banned the presence of these amines and this is applicable to clothing, bed linen and footwear. As per the latest information received, the European Commission has circulated a working document relating to the restrictions on the marketing and use of dangerous substances and preparation (azo dyes), for the consideration of the European parliament and the Council. The draft proposal aims to restrict the use of 22 amines in textiles and leather articles.

13. What is Eco-Labeling of Textiles?

In order to promote the concept of eco-friendly textiles, a comprehensive system of eco labels is advocated by European and other Western countries. For the purpose of issuing eco labels, certain norms/criteria are stipulated in respect of textile products, on the basis of Cradle-to-Grave approach. i.e. These criteria are developed on analysing the product's entire life cycle commencing with extraction of raw materials, progressing through the stages of production, distribution and utilisation and disposal after use. The norms are also referred to as Eco Standards. By and large, these standards are voluntary in nature.

While formulating eco-norms for the issuance of eco labels, at present the use of 7 different classes of chemicals in textile production and processing are taken into consideration. These are:

Formaldehyde

Toxic pesticides

Pentachlorophenol (PCP)

Heavy metal traces

Azo dyes which release carcinogenic amines

Halogen carriers

Chlorine Bleaching

The eco standards stipulated by (i) MST, the German Textile Association, (ii) OTN 100,the famous OEKOTEX Institute from Austria, (iii) Clean fashion and (iv) Steilmann, the two private eco-label issuing organisations in Germany are popular in European countries. In addition to the four eco labels specified above, a number of private and national labels are operating in Europe. In some cases these labels are used solely as a marketing instrument and have little factual and technical substance. In the face of the proliferation of eco labels, the Coordination Committee for the Textiles Industries in the EEC (COMITEXTIL), supports a single European label. Further, it is learnt that the European Union is finalizing the criteria for a common "European Community Eco label" (EC-Eco label) after taking into consideration the criteria specified by other eco labels.

The Government of India has also evolved eco standards for the eco labeling of the textile items in consultation with the Indian Textile Trade and Industry. The criteria for the environmentally friendly textiles including Cotton, Woolen, Man-made, Jute and Silk products was notified in the Gazette on October 8, 1996 by Ministry of Environment and Forests. The eco labeling of textiles notified in the Gazette is a voluntary scheme. This scheme aims at distinguishing through the agency of Eco-Mark, any product which is made, used or disposed of in a way that significantly reduces the adverse effect, it would otherwise have on the environment. The Earthen Pot is being used as the logo of this scheme.

A comparison of the norms/criteria stipulated for eco parameters in the popular eco labels operating in Europe and in the Indian Eco Mark Scheme for textiles are as under:

S.

No

Eco Parameter

Criteria/Norms stipulated in ppm

M.S.T

OTN 100

Clean Fashion

Steil-mann

COMIT-EXTIL

Indian Eco Label

Formaldehyde

(i) Baby Clothing

(ii) Close to skin

(iii) Outer wear

20

75

300

20

75

300

20

75

300

50

300

500

20

75

300

20

75

300

Toxic Pesticides

1

5

1

1

0.1 to 1

1

Pentachlorophenol

0.5

--

0.5

Ban

0.05 to 0.5

0.5

Heavy Metals

(i) Arsenic

(ii) Lead

(iii) Cadmium

(iv) Mercury

(v) Copper

(vi) Chromium

(vii) Cobalt

(viii) Zinc

(ix) Nickel

0.001 to 0.01

0.004 to 0.04

0.0005 to 0.005

0.0001 to 0.1

0.3 to 100.0

1 to 20

2 to 20

0.5 to 5.0

0.02 to 10.0

10.0 (for all heavy metals)

Azo dyes containing carcinogenic amines

Ban

Ban

Ban

Ban

Ban

50.0

Halogen Carriers

Ban

---

---

Ban

Ban

200.0

Chlorine Bleaching

___

___

___

To avoid

Ban

___

14. Which are the agencies which have accredited Textiles Committee Laboratories?

Accreditation is a formal recognition that a Testing /Calibration Laboratory is competent to carry out specific test/s. Such an accreditation is granted only after the accrediting body ( Govt. /non Govt. body or any third party) is satisfied with a particular laboratory seeking Accreditation. In India, the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is accrediting the laboratories. Apart from this there are a number of accrediting bodies operating at international level including A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, USA) and RvA (Raad Voor Accreditate), Dutch Accreditation Council, Netherlands.

Textiles Committee Laboratories, Mumbai is accredited by Raad Voor Accreditate, the Dutch Accreditation Council, Netherlands and National Accreditation Board For Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) on the basis of its compliance to the relevant criteria which are based on ISO /IEC Guide 25 and EN-45001. This is the first Textile Laboratory in India accredited by a reputed Accreditation Board from abroad.

15. What are the advantages of testing of textiles in an accredited laboratory ?

In an accredited laboratory, a documented Quality System is implemented and its effectiveness is assured. Consequently, the test reports/certificates issued by the laboratory is readily accepted by the trade, industry and exporters. The testing services rendered by the laboratory is qualitatively better than a non-accredited laboratory due to the following reasons :

The accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of the test results are assured;

Qualified and trained man power is employed for the testing various parameters;

Standard and validated methods only are used for testing;

The accuracy and precision of the equipments used is ascertained by periodical calibration using devices traceable to National Standards; and,

The testing of various parameters is carried out under conditions which does not affect the accuracy and precision of the test results.

16. State the list of dyes banned by Government of India?

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India has prohibited the handling of benzidine based dyes vide the notification published in the Gazette in January, 1990. As per this notification, handling of all the 42 benzidine based dyes are prohibited from 1993 onwards. These are related to banned amines.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has further prohibited the handling of 70 more azo dyes which came under the banned category as per the notification published in the Gazette on 26th March, 1997. Thus, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has prohibited the handling of 42+70=112 dyes which are capable of releasing any of the harmful amines.